


The Truce

by casbean



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: 2k15-au-a-thon, AU, Airport AU, F/F, Lawyers AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-11
Updated: 2015-01-11
Packaged: 2018-03-07 00:59:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3154844
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/casbean/pseuds/casbean
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>based on the prompt "stuck-in-an-airport-because-the-flights-were-SO-VERY-delayed-and-it’s-like-two-am au" by tinytmas on tumblr.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Truce

"I’m sorry, the company has to delay the flight," repeats the poor attendant lady for the umpteenth time of the night. "I can look for a different option for you but I’m afraid there is no other flight out before tomorrow morning."

A long hand grips around the lady’s vest, yanking her forward. “You better do something about this or I swear to _all_ of my Gods…”

"Anya!" A blond girl grabs the tall woman’s arm and forces her to let go. "You can’t do this, she’s got nothing to do with it."

The flight attendant pulls back, rubbing a shaky hand on her collar and looking positively terrified.

"Come on," the blond girl urges. She carefully pulls on Anya’s arm like she’s afraid she might slash her with claws.

 

"Clarke, the flight lasts five hours, and the deal closes at 8. If we don’t stop this-"

"I know," Clarke says softly, and she sits down on one of the chairs in the waiting area. "Both our jobs and our lives depend on this, I _know_ that, but there’s nothing else we can do here. They’re going to be in that conference room negotiating all night, and we’ve already called my mother a million times. They’ll call us back when they can and the flight will leave when it can, there’s nothing more we can do.”

Anya is still standing in front of her, tall and stunning in her dark pantsuit.

"Our truce and this alliance is the only thing that will save our firms,” Anya insists as she crosses her arms on her chest. “Our families haven’t worked this hard for generations just to dissolve and sell to Weathers & Associates rather than join forces. It _cannot_ happen, Clarke.”

"I know, would you just sit down? You’ve been awake for 48 hours, this isn’t good for you.”

Anya shoots a surprised glance at Clarke, who realizes she might be a bit _too_ considerate. After all, they’ve been enemies all their lives, born and raised as powerful lawyers in firms constantly tearing each other apart. And this truce, that came out of necessity, still feels very strange.

"I’m fine," Anya snaps, but she finally folds and sits next to Clarke. Her eyes are reduced to tiny, tired lines and she treads her fingers through her messy hair. "I’m used to not sleeping. I haven’t slept more than four hours a night in several years."

"You shouldn’t take on so much, it’s going to kill you,” Clarke argues. “Why can’t some of your senior partners do part of the work?”

“They’re useless,” Anya replies coldly. “This is my heritage, my right, my responsibility. They all depend on me.”

Clarke reaches out to put an arm around Anya’s shoulder, but stops herself just in time. They’re not exactly there yet.

"I’m in charge, I’m responsible,” Anya continues, looking at the floor. “If Griffins sells out and we can’t merge, my employees, my family, will lose everything, and it’s all on me. If this fails…”

"It won’t."

This time Clarke slides a hand on Anya’s back, and the feline girl frowns slightly but doesn’t back away.

"We’ll get there in time, we’ll stop them from making this stupid deal, I promise. And worse comes to worse, I’ll leave my mother’s firm and start my own. I’m pretty sure I could get at least half of the junior associates to join, and that might be enough to get our own start. You and me," she adds without really knowing why.

As she speaks she rubs her palm on Anya’s shoulders, in what is trying to be a reassuring touch. It’s pretty strange for both of them, just like this thing - not trying to kill each other.

"Why would you do that for me?” Anya interrogates, and she turns her dark eyes towards Clarke. “After all I did to ruin you and your reputation in the past…"

"And I got you sent to jail for three months,” Clarke quietly replies. She shrugs. “I think we’re even. Plus there is no way I’m working for Weathers & Associates. If my mom sells, I’m out of there.”

Anya’s hard features soften, in a way Clarke has never seen before. Actually, she’s never seen her nemesis this. The Anya she’s always known - and mostly hated - was a ferocious warrior, ruining and winning cases after cases, standing tall and above everyone else on her nine inch heels. Making people shrink just by the slay in her eyes.

But Anya’s firm has been badly damaged by the economy, and when against her family’s wishes Clarke came to her to offer a deal, to join both their firms and avoid losing everything, Anya had to agree. And now Clarke gets to see her in a completely different light, like an old lion king after a fight; defeated, tired, round shoulders and curved spine. She even feels Anya leaning into her touch, and she keeps her arm around her old rival’s shoulders.

“I never thought I’d say this, but you’re a decent person, Clarke Griffin,” Anya finally lets out.

She looks like she’s just given up her dignity. Clarke smiles and nudges her.

“Well, for a Siamese panther, you’re not too bad either.”

Anya lifts her head from her hands and frowns.

"A Siamese panther?"

Clarke feels blood rushing to her cheeks. She doesn’t know why, but it’s always been how she’s seen Anya, and she always secretly admired her despite their mutual hate. Beautiful, racy, tall and thin but so strong, ferocious, scary as Hell. Cold, ruthless, indestructible. And pure. Pure and beautiful.

"Yeah,” Clarke finally admits, face heating up. “You’re like a Siamese cat, except… giant. And scary."

The shadow of a smile appears on Anya’s thin lips.

“Thank you… bear cub.”

Clarke’s mouth drops and her arm slides off from around the other woman’s shoulder.

“A bear cub?? That’s how you see me?”

She doesn’t even know where to start. She thought at least Anya considered her as her equal, rival maybe, but equal in strength. After all, she was the only one able to sometimes win a case against her, and she’s basically saving her life by offering this deal - that she made in secret. And they’re on their way to ruin a deal with the biggest corporation in the United States, and she orchestrated it all. A _bear cub_??

“Because you’re… kind of adorable,” Anya says. Is that a blush that Clarke sees creeping on her cheeks? Impossible, and yet true. Even a small smile, an honest smile. “But when you want to, you can become more dangerous than a grizzly bear. And I faced one, I know their strength. It terrifies me.”

“Thank God.” Clarke laughs a little awkwardly. “We were about to have a problem again.”

She doesn’t know what to do with her hand now, it’s laying there on the seat of Anya’s chair. She brings it back on her own lap as Anya rubs her face in her hands.

“Attention, all passengers for the flight 4455 for Philadelphia, your flight will depart in exactly thirty minutes at gate 33D. Please report to gate 33D with your boarding pass immediately. Thank you.”

“Finally,” Anya hisses before jumping on her feet.

When Anya’s shadow towers over the lady flight attendant, the poor woman takes a nervous step back, and her fingers are shaking when she takes the ticket Clarke is handing her. Clarke will never get over how much Anya can scare people just by being herself. It’s kind of hot.

Half an hour later, the plane is finally moving away from the gates. Looks like they might make it on time. Anya lets her head rests against her seat and sighs deeply.

“Why don’t you try sleeping?” Clarke suggests.

“I can’t-”

“Come on,” she insists. “I’ll stay awake, you won’t miss anything.”

“I’m not sure how to fall asleep,” Anya says curtly. “I’m not used to _relaxing_.”

Clarke smirks.

“All right, put this on,” she hands Anya her iPod and earphones, which contain her secret, magical relaxation tape.

Ten minutes later, the tall cat woman is curled up against Clarke’s shoulder, deeply asleep, in a position she’s probably going to be very ashamed of when she wakes up because she looks very cute. Her hair smells musky but in a good way, and her long body is warm and comforting against Clarke’s side.

“We’ll be okay,” Clarke thinks as she turns on a movie to resist the urge of snuggling back against Anya. “We can do this. We’ll be okay.”


End file.
